Reconciliation
by AiredaleLady
Summary: After solving the Spooky Island case, Fred, Velma & Daphne find that they still have personal issues to resolve. A tag to the movie from Velma's POV.


RECONCILIATION

A tag to the movie

Daphne, Fred and I sat in the uncomfortable, economy class seats on the chartered jet back to the mainland. After solving the mystery of the Spooky Island cult, and saving the world from a race of angry demons, we were decidedly exhausted, although I believe that the much of that drain was emotional, rather than physical. It hadn't been easy seeing each other after a two-year separation; you might even say that we weren't too sure that we _wanted_ to be together again. But somehow, in times of crises, people manage to reconcile their differences, and we were no exception.

For the most part, the atmosphere on the plane was tranquil, probably because most of the passengers were sleeping. What a marked difference from the raucous, party-like environment we had encountered on the way to the island. That girl and her cat sat three rows in front of us, but Scooby was too tired to care. Even more surprising was that Shaggy and Scooby decided to pass on the meal service! I guess they were too tired to even eat.

As exhausted as I was though, I just couldn't sleep. Every so often, I would stare out the window at the vast, cloud covered horizon, lost in my own thoughts. It had been great to see the gang back together, and, for awhile, it actually felt like old times again. But somehow, I couldn't help but wonder if this reconciliation had been only temporary, a sort of defense mechanism in the face of adversity. I sighed as I considered the unpleasant thought, and felt a noticeable tension in my throat, as if I was about to cry. Who would ever have thought that such a tightly knit group of friends as us could ever grow apart? Try as I did, I just could not accept that Fred, Daph and I would be anything other than the best of friends…forever. I realize that much of the split had been my fault; one might even say that I had started it. And since Velma Dinkley never likes to leave anything unresolved, it was my job to try and fix what I had nearly destroyed two years earlier.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp jolt as our plane touched down on the tarmac. We had arrived at the airport separately, and we were about to leave the same way too, unless… "Fred, Daphne," I began somewhat tentatively. "First of all, it was great to see you guys again, and I just wanted to say…thanks for a really wonderful time."

"Sure thing, Velmster," Fred answered, cheerily.

I wanted to slap myself. _Nice going, Dinkley. Now why don't you tell them what you _really_ want to say?_ "…and, I was wondering if we could talk. I'd hate to see this case end the way that our last one did."

I could tell from their expressions that Fred and Daphne were uncomfortable with the memory.

"Sure," Fred replied, this time in a flat, expressionless monotone.

"I suppose," was Daphne's equally unemotional answer. It wasn't quite the reaction I had hoped for, but it would have to do.

Shaggy and Scooby had gone pick up the van from the airport parking lot, which gave Fred, Daphne and me plenty of time to be alone. We waited until the boarding area was nearly deserted; it was the most private setting we could find in a public place like the airport. The three of us looked at one another, somewhat uncomfortably. Since it had been my idea to I essentially had to shoulder the initial blame for what had happened back talk, I decided to break the silence first. It was a difficult task, because it meant that at that toy factory two years earlier. "Uh, Fred, Daphne?" I began. "The last case we had, we didn't exactly part on very good terms…"

"Yeah, no kidding." Daphne replied, sarcastically. Her sarcasm was understandable, though, since at the start of this case, she had stated in no uncertain terms that she wanted nothing to do with either Fred or me. I was undeterred by her words, and shot her a look that equaled the phrase 'hear me out.'

"I was upset that night," I continued. "I had never felt so under appreciated, and I suppose that I allowed my emotions to overcome my common sense." Taking a deep breath, I gathered my strength for my next sentence; what I was about to say felt as though it would be the hardest thing that I would ever say in my life. I noticed the same tightening in my throat that I had felt earlier on the plane, only this time, I couldn't stifle it. I felt myself starting to shake as I spoke my next words. "I'm sorry," I sniffled, ducking my head to avoid Fred's and Daphne's gaze. "It's my fault, all of it. None of this would ever have happened had I kept my emotions under control that night…"

Thank goodness the waiting area was deserted, because now, I was really sobbing. "It was wrong of me to lose my temper that night. I was mad and frustrated, and all I really wanted was some assurance that I was appreciated--that was why I announced that I was going to quit." I paused for a moment to wipe my eyes. "I made a horrible assumption about how you guys would react; I should have known better than to jump to such a conclusion, but I just wasn't thinking straight that night." I regained my composure just long enough for me to clearly utter my next phrase. "Please, gang. Forgive me for my selfish stupidity."

I had stopped crying, but was still breathing heavily; and I knew that I could start crying again at any moment. Daphne was first to make eye contact with me. "I forgive you, Velma," she said, softly. "And please don't feel that this split was entirely your fault, because it wasn't." She glanced at the floor, and took a deep breath before saying, "I was wrong too. I was sick and tired of you guys seeing me as ditzy and danger-prone. There's more to me than that, but you and Fred just never took the time to see it."

I wanted to contradict her, but my common sense told me otherwise. She had listened to my tirade; it was only fair that I listen to hers.

"I was stressed out that night," Daphne continued. "And all the resentment I'd ever harbored about how you guys viewed me just overflowed. I never meant to hurt or insult you, Velma; it just so happened that you were right in front of me, and I had to lash out at someone or something."

I shot Daphne a disgusted look in response to her comment. "You should have known better than to do what you did," I chided. "You know that I can't see without my glasses; I could have been seriously hurt."

Daphne looked at me, guiltily. "I know," she sniffled. "And ordinarily, I would never lash out at you like that; but I couldn't control myself that night any more than you could."

She paused, choking on her words. "If it makes you feel any better," she continued. "I never really got over what happened that night; I've been thinking about it almost every day for the past two years. My fight with Fred I could get over, because I'd fought with him so many times before; but with you, it was different. I went home that night, feeling as though I had just lost my best friend, and essentially, I had."

She pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, Velma" she sniffled. "Forgive me, please."

I looked at her through my tear-stained glasses. Something about her words really touched me, and the disgust I had felt towards her only seconds earlier simply melted away. Spreading my arms, I threw myself at her and pulled her close to me in a tight embrace. "Oh, Daphne," I sobbed, as I hugged her.

Daphne returned the gesture, hugging me tightly. "It's alright," she whispered, patting me gently on the back. "It's over now, I'm right here, and nothing like this will ever happen again."

I tightened my grip on her. "I forgive you, Daphne," I whispered. "I do."

We hugged each other for a long time, as if trying to reassure ourselves of the other's physical presence. Both of us were hesitant to break the embrace; almost as though releasing would cause the other person to disappear. Slowly, we loosened our grips on each other, and as I looked over her shoulder, I noticed Fred sitting in the far corner of the waiting room. The whole time that Daph and I were talking, he did not say a word, nor did he try to approach us. And despite his seemingly impassive demeanor, I could tell from his body language that he was deep in thought.

I had no hard feelings toward Fred; I just felt that that he owed me an apology—or at least, an explanation—for the way he behaved that night. Mentally, I analyzed everything that had happened at that factory, but try as I did, I could find no justification for his actions. The egocentric jerk who had treated me like dirt, upstaged me and insulted me was not the Fred Jones I knew.

Daphne and I walked slowly across the waiting room to where Fred was sitting; his face was buried in his hands, and I got the feeling that he didn't want to look at Daphne or me. "Freddie?" I asked, hesitantly.

Slowly, Fred lifted his head, and I could tell from his facial expression that he had been crying. "I'm sorry, Velma," he breathed. "I've thought this over, and I just don't know what came over me. Daphne's right. We were all a little stressed out that night, and we all made some really bad decisions …especially me."

I listened, but said nothing. I could tell that Fred was nervous about what he would say next, because he was constantly tugging at his ascot. He took a deep breath, then continued speaking.

"I was rash. I was wrong, and I'm sorry," he whispered, as he choked on his words. "Can you forgive me, Velmster?"

I smiled as I heard him say my nickname, then carefully, processed what he had just said. Those words did not come from the one-man publicity machine who greeted me upon our departure for Spooky Island; nor did they come from the shallow egomaniac that I tolerated for an entire week. No. Those words, spoken with sincerity and empathy, came from the real Fred Jones, the Fred Jones that I had known back in high school. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly, leaning against his chest for support. "I forgive you," I whispered, trying hard not to cry. "Just don't ever do that to us again."

Fred lowered his head so that his eyes met mine. "I won't," he said, quietly, smiling as he spoke.

For a moment, it seemed as though all was well again, and we were reunited; but I couldn't help but feel that there was one more obstacle to overcome. Apparently, Fred must have felt the same way, because he turned and faced us and began to speak. "Gang," he said, slowly.

I felt my heart soar. He hadn't addressed us like that in years, and to hear him do so made it feel as though we had never really parted ways. "What happened that night was a natural part of growing up," continued Fred. "We were at a transitional period in our lives, and each of us, myself included, had personal issues to explore. And after thinking about, I really believe that this separation was best for us."

Daphne and I looked at him, exasperated. Did he really think that we should remain apart from each other? I felt my throat tightening again, and was almost ready to burst out crying. I squeezed Daphne's hand for reassurance.

Daphne shook her head. "Wait, Velma," she whispered to me.

Fred continued. "In the time that we were apart from each other, we learned a lot about ourselves; but, more importantly, we learned a lot about each other. We each arrived at that resort, firmly convinced of our personal abilities, believing that we could act on our own and be successful; but we quickly learned that we could not subsist without one another. Separately, we were limited by our own abilities, but together, together, we are virtually unstoppable. And now that we are older, more sure of ourselves, I think, perhaps, we could…try …again?"

There was a tinge of hesitancy in Fred's voice as he spoke those words, but Daphne and I could have cared less. I felt myself starting to cry once again, but this time, out of sheer happiness. "So," I asked. "Are we back together?"

"Yes," Fred nodded. "For good."

I slowly put my hand out in front of Fred and Daphne. "Friends forever?" I asked.

"Forever," said Daphne, putting her hand on top of mine.

"Forever," echoed Fred, adding his hand to the pile. He looked at Daphne and me. "On three," he said. "One, Two, Three." We threw our hands in the air. "Woo Hoo!!" we shouted, then embraced in tight group hug. It had never felt so good to be with my friends as it did at that moment.

Fred, Daphne Shaggy, Scooby and I piled into the van; it was a tighter fit than usual, because of Shaggy's living accommodations, but none of us seemed to mind. We were friends again, and friends don't mind being in such close proximity to each other. As we turned onto the highway, I thought about everything that had just taken place. We had each changed a lot in the past two years, but I knew that one thing would never change, and that was the deep bond of friendship among the four of us. I was convinced that this reconciliation was the best ending to what had been our most challenging case ever.


End file.
